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This new arrival in the archipelago, the brainchild of Bangkok-based
Bill Heineke, and run with charismatic élan by Christopher
Stafford, is pure delight. Villas are strung beside the sand and out on a pontoon, as is the
spa. Getting a massage while watching the marine life through a
pane of glass set in the floor beneath the treatment table is a
bit like dry snorkelling! (read more...)
Minimalist modern décor may not be what one immediately
associates with the Maldives, which is why Angsana Resort &
Spa opted for vivid interiors in lime green, tangerine and yellow
and furniture from Italy, France and Britain for each of its 45
thatched-roof villas, each of which comes with its own private garden. (read more...)
If you like champagne and ice cream, though not necessarily at
the same time, then here's the bad news: you're going to have to
pay for them at Athuruga. This is a quiet, intimate resort, with
just over 50 beach bungalows and garden villas, nicely surrounded
by luxuriant greenery. (read more...)
Get married underwater. Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru specialises in arranging
unusual treats and whisks the bride and groom in a dhoni to a secret
wedding dive site to later return them to their villa for cake and
champagne. Other less unusual activities available at this resort include dolphin safaris, island hopping, and banana boat tours. (read more...)
Singaporean tycoon Christina Ong's hotels are strung around the
world like a diamond necklace, from Bali to the Caribbean to Bhutan.
Cocoa Island is the jewel in the crown of this queen of hoteliers.
Gorgeous accommodation with food and drink to match (plenty
of healthy options, as well as the more Epicurean stuff), a perfect
setting and staff gifted with telepathy, it would seem. (read more...)
At Dhoni Mighili guests don't have to waver between an over-water
villa or a beachfront one - they can have both. The boutique resort
has six dhonis (Maldivian sailboats) that are partnered with six
thatched-roof beach bungalows, four of which come with their own
freshwater pool. (read more...)
It's not unusual for a resort in the Maldives to have its own spa.
It's slightly more unusual, though for a resort's spa to be located
on its own island, as is the case with the Four Seasons Kuda Huraa. Sail over in a dhoni to enjoy a treatment in one of the seven spa
pavilions or take up yoga with the resident yogi in a specially
designed pavilion. (read more...)
Many resorts in the Maldives may look like something out of Arabian
Nights but few will have the cuisine from it as well. Located on
what is regarded as the Maldives' most pristine lagoon, Four Seasons'
Al Barakat restaurant -set over water as most of the Four Seasons
eateries are - serves Arabian cuisine, complete with authentic shisha
water pipes. (read more...)
Want to watch the sharks but from behind a thicker armour than
a diving suit? Then try Ithaa Undersea Restaurant at the Hilton
Maldives Resort and Spa Rangali Island, just one of the resort's
10 restaurants and bars and the world's only all-glass undersea
restaurant. (read more...)
Spas the world over promise relaxing and soothing therapies but
Lime, Huvafen Fushi's flourishing signature spa, is the first in
the world that's actually underwater. There are also six treatment
rooms above the surface, each with its own glass floor, and with
two double rooms with a separate relaxation area for wonderful vistas
of sea life below. (read more...)
There will probably be a few more in years to come, but the Island
Hideaway will always be able to claim it hosted the Maldives' first
marina - and it's going to take some beating. This sort of facility is exactly what
the archipelago was created for. On shore, two magnificent beaches bracket the resort itself, whose complement
of suites, residences, villas and retreats is capped by seven pavilions. (read more...)
While most resorts are eager to keep their guests within the confines
of the resort, Nika Island encourages its guests to get away. Excursions are organised to a variety of inhabited and uninhabited
islands, while honeymooners are given a special package of their
own, which includes being sent to a deserted island to play owners
or survivors, returning to one of the resort's 26 bungalows . (read more...)
It's the accommodation that stands out at the
One & Only Kanuhura in the Lhaviyani atoll. The over-water villas with their private sundecks and wooden steps
down to the sea feature traditional Maldivian design touches and materials such
as woven grass rugs laid out on teak wooden floors. The bathrooms are reminiscent of a Spanish courtyard with stone
outdoor showers and a bathtub open to the sky. (read more...)
Water sports are a given at a Maldivian resort. What is not a given
is a plethora of land sports available at One & Only Reethi
Rah. Pétanque, croquet, soccer, beach volleyball and cycling
are all played avidly at this 44-hectare resort. Work up an appetite from these and then head to the Reethi Restaurant
for some Far Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine, or Tapasake for
Japanese food. (read more...)
Let's face it. There is nowhere more comfortable than home. The
Palm Beach Resort & Spa recognises this fact and has added homey
touches to each of its rooms to make guests feel - well - at home. Step onto the patio of one of the bungalows and relax on a hundoli
or typical Maldivian swing. Thick vegetation ensures that all four
styles of accommodation in this 109-room resort are private. (read more...)
If it's your first visit to the Maldives, then starting off at
the Rhiveli is no bad idea. With less than 50 bungalows, it has
a lovely atmosphere, and of course the views out to sea, whatever
the time of day or night, are to be reincarnated for. Twice-daily snorkelling trips around the island are a great way
to make friends, both above and below the waves, and a friendly
party atmosphere revolves around meal times. (read more...)
Paradiso or paradise really does exist at the Soneva Fushi Resort
with classic movies such as Citizen Kane and Gone with the Wind
being shown on the beach under the stars at Soneva's private cinema,
Cinema Paradiso. For those who get hungry during the movie, chefs are on hand to
barbecue prime cuts of meat. (read more...)
This may well sound like a cliché but - want a marriage
made in heaven? Then take your inspiration from Sonu and Eva Shivdasani. It was love at first sight when the tycoon and top international
model met in Monte Carlo, and on their subsequent honeymoon in the
Maldives they determined to build a resort that would sum up their
feelings both for the archipelago and each other. The result was
Soneva Gili. (read more...)
Although the Taj Exotica is located quite close to Malé,
this is no problem when viewed in the light of the impeccable standards
of the Taj group, with its long history of catering for big-city
sophisticates. Set beside the flour-soft sand of a man-made haven
in the South Malé Atoll, the resort's a stunner. (read more...)
On the twin island of Athuruga, Thundufushi offers a similar all-inclusive
deal. Economics aside, the resort can boast two special attractions.
The first is its reef, which sweeps around almost two thirds of
the island; you barely have to don a snorkel as the coral is visible
from the water's edge - talk about temptation! (read more...)
Perhaps it's your honeymoon, your second honeymoon, or simply an
off-season practice match. Velavaru ticks all the boxes, and then
some. It's not the only resort with a Robinson Crusoe island where
couples can seclude themselves for the day but this particular untouched isle is
totally idyllic. (read more...)
Inside or outside? With roofs that have peek-a-boo views of the
sky, glass-panelled floors and floor-to-ceiling windows, the difference
between the indoors and the outdoors blurs at the W Retreat &
Spa's over-water villas. (read more...) |
